Acne is one of the most common phenomena that almost everyone has had an encounter with. It can happen to anyone, regardless of a person’s age or gender. The skin has tiny pores that can become clogged by oil, bacteria, and dirt. When this occurs, a pimple or “zit” may appear. If the skin is repeatedly affected by this condition, it causes acne. The inflammation caused by acne can often leave wounds in the skin. As acne wounds heal, an abundance of collagen can get left behind, forming acne scars that make the skin appear uneven.
According to the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD), acne is one of the most common skin problems in the United States. At any one time, between 40 and 50 million people have this condition. Although acne is not a life-threatening condition, it can be painful, particularly when it is severe. Acne is not only physically discomforting, but the scars left behind by it are also emotionally damaging. Acne that appears on the face can impact self-esteem and, over time, may cause permanent scarring. Fortunately, there are effective treatments for this condition that reduce both the number of pimples and the scars it leaves behind.
The most common types of scars are icepick acne scars, rolling acne scars, boxcar acne scars and raised acne scars (keloid or hypertrophic scars). Experts at Skin Deep Laser Services in Northern Virginia always recommend treatment based on the patient’s acne type as the best way to treat acne scars is to understand the nature of the scars. Laser skin resurfacing, dermabrasion, and chemical peels are the most popular methods to treat acne scars. Dermabrasion works by rapidly spinning small wheel with a roughened surface similar to fine-grained sandpaper on the affected area to remove the upper layers of the skin. By removing the top layer, the skin regenerates, often improving its appearance. Chemical peels can be performed at a variety of depths depending on how severe the acne scarring is. However, both dermabrasion and chemical peels require a very long healing period and come with side effects of their own. Injectable fillers are also used to fill in acne scar depressions.
Fractional CO2 laser acne removal works by taking the CO2 laser beam and fractionating it into thousands of tiny little shafts of light. These tiny shafts of light penetrate into the deep layers of the skin. The skin then repairs those tiny shafts by pushing out the old damaged skin and replacing it with new skin. Since only the damaged part of the skin is exposed to the laser and not the whole face, it reduces recovery time and side effects. According to numerous studies conducted recently, fractional CO2 laser treatment has been proven, by far, the best and the most effective option. The results of the study (Evaluation of Fractional CO2 Laser Efficacy in Acne Scar) conducted by Simin Saryazdi and Azadeh Mohebbi (Department of Dermatology, Afzalipour Hospital, Iran) suggest that the fractional CO2 laser can be used as a safe and efficacious method to treat depressed acne scar. In their study, objective and subjective improvement was estimated at about 20-70% and 30-70%, respectively, without any erythema, permanent hyperpigmentation, and other adverse effects. The important point is that participants returned back to work after 4-7 days.
Many people opt for Skin Deep Laser Services for laser acne scar removal treatments, as it is one of the only medical spas in Northern Virginia, which offers fractional CO2 laser treatment. It has helped many men and women to achieve their goals, which reflects their inner beauty and helps them become more confident.